{"id":15355,"date":"2025-06-26T04:30:09","date_gmt":"2025-06-26T04:30:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/15355\/"},"modified":"2025-06-26T04:30:09","modified_gmt":"2025-06-26T04:30:09","slug":"how-box-jumps-can-improve-your-running-speed-and-power","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/15355\/","title":{"rendered":"How Box Jumps Can Improve Your Running Speed and Power"},"content":{"rendered":"

I recently wrote about how running with a can of Pringles helped me improve my form<\/a>\u2014an ingenious trick from my high school coach that taught me to keep my hands relaxed<\/a>. The story got me thinking: What other out-of-the-box methods did he use to make me a better runner?<\/p>\n

The answer popped up when I was scrolling through Runner\u2019s World\u2019s brand-new Guide to Strength Training<\/strong><\/a>, which includes a plyometrics follow-along workout <\/a>that instantly brought me back to my high school days. I remembered how my coach had us add one simple, power-driven exercise to the end of at least one training run per week: box jumps. <\/p>\n

Once or twice a week, my teammates and I ended our 55-minute easy runs<\/a> with box jump reps. However, it wasn\u2019t as straightforward as doing a few sets. We\u2019d head over to the green wooden boxes in the corner of our high school\u2019s track stadium to do 10 jumps, and then followed it up with a lap around the track. Repeat that four times, and we had 40 box jumps and a mile of running under our belts to finish off our session for the day.<\/p>\n

Honestly, I didn\u2019t look forward to box jump days. Who wants to add tiring exercises to the end of a run and log an extra mile? I didn\u2019t realize until much later that by adding consistent plyometrics to our weekly training, our coach helped us build speed<\/a> and power that translated to races. I\u2019m sure it played a role in helping me consistently run strong in the 800 meters and 1,600 meters at the state level\u2013and even earn a spot on our state runner-up 4×400-meter relay team.<\/p>\n

Related Stories<\/p>\n

As Winnie Yu, D.P.T., C.S.C.S., a physical therapist and strength coach at Bespoke Treatments in New York City, explains in Runner\u2019s World\u2019s Guide to Strength Training<\/a>, a routine that includes heavy lifting and plyometric<\/a> exercises can improve your ability to go faster for longer. <\/p>\n

\u201cResearch shows that lifting heavy weight for fewer reps is one of the best strength training methods to improve running economy<\/a>, along with plyometrics or explosive movements like squat jumps, box jumps, or jumping lunges,\u201d Yu says<\/a> in the program.<\/p>\n

But the benefits of plyometrics go beyond running economy improvement. You\u2019ll increase power to help you develop a scorching finishing kick, as well as strengthen weak glutes<\/a> and calves. Plus, consistent plyometric work will help you confidently conquer hill climbs<\/a>. <\/p>\n

You can add plyometric movements to your strength training regimen with ease by following the total-body with plyometrics workout<\/a> featured in our Guide to Strength Training<\/a>. Yu and Deputy Health & Fitness Editor Mallory Creveling walk you through a 30-minute workout with core exercises, single-leg<\/a> movements, and explosive moves meant to target major muscle groups and build power and stability. <\/p>\n

You can also diversify your training with five additional follow-along workouts featured in the program that focus on everything from upper-body strength<\/a> to glute activation<\/a>. <\/p>\n

Want even more ways to level up your training? Become a Runner\u2019s World+ member<\/a> today to gain access to exclusive, expert-led programs aimed at helping you reach your goals, from beginning your running journey<\/a> to racing a marathon<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"Lettermark\"<\/p>\n

Ashley is Editor of Content Hype at Hearst\u2019s Enthusiast & Wellness Group. She is a former collegiate runner at UNC Asheville where she studied mass communication. Ashley loves all things running; she has raced two marathons, plus has covered some of the sport\u2019s top events in her career, including the Paris Olympics, U.S. Olympic Trials and multiple World Marathon Majors.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"I recently wrote about how running with a can of Pringles helped me improve my form\u2014an ingenious trick…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":15356,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[38],"tags":[1198,210,15453,67,132,68],"class_list":{"0":"post-15355","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-fitness","8":"tag-fitness","9":"tag-health","10":"tag-hype","11":"tag-united-states","12":"tag-unitedstates","13":"tag-us"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/114747790151903312","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15355","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15355"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15355\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15356"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15355"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15355"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15355"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}